Breivik's psychiatrist wavered on sanity ruling

June 18, 2012|Reuters

OSLO, June 18 (Reuters) - A psychiatric expert who concludedNorwegian far right mass killer Anders Behring Breivik was sanebegun to doubt his diagnosis after watching the defendant's lackof emotions during the early stages of the trial, he told thecourt on Monday.

"Could he have psychosis?" said psychiatrist TerjeTorrissen. "I thought, how is it possible to sit through thiswithout showing any sign of emotion?"

To erase his doubt, Torrissen asked for another meeting withBreivik while his trial for the murder of 77 people, mostlyteenagers at the ruling Labour Party's summer camp, was wellunderway.

The request led to a 20-minute conversation between Breivikand the psychiatrist, not known publicly until Monday, thatconvinced Torrissen that his original conclusion was correct andBreivik was legally sane, he said.

Breivik admits the killings, claiming he killed politicalactivists who supported "cultural Marxism" and Muslimimmigration, and his trial has focused on his mental condition.

A first group of court-appointed psychiatrists concluded hewas a psychotic paranoid schizophrenic while a second teamconsisting of Torrissen and Agnar Aspaas concluded he sufferedmost likely from narcissistic personality disorder but was notpsychotic.

If found insane, Breivik would be sent to a mentalinstitution, set up inside a high security prison, and wouldcome up for a review every three years.

If found sane, he would face 21 years in prison with thepossibility of indefinite extensions if deemed dangerous tosociety.